Konop: What change looks like

Several months ago, in the pages of this publication, former Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon predicted horrific violence for county residents now that he was no longer at the helm of the department (“Former dog warden warns: watch out for the pit bulls,” May 23).

Alarmingly, Skeldon stated that “this spring, summer, fall, here in Toledo, there will be a number of people mauled, maimed, disfigured and there may be somebody killed by a pit bull.”

Never one to shy away from hyperbole, Skeldon ominously pronounced that “the word is out in Toledo — the dog warden [Julie Lyle] is no longer enforcing the laws and we can do what we want.”

Under new leadership at the pound, dog attacks in Lucas County have declined in the past four months when compared to the average of the last four years under Skeldon. From June to September of this year, under new warden Julie Lyle, there were 173 reported dog attacks. During the same four-month period in 2006-09 under Skeldon, there was an average of 176 attacks. Although the decrease in violence under Lyle is slight, as any attack is certainly one too many for the victim, the data shows that Skeldon’s fear mongering was unwarranted.

While, according to the data, public safety has improved under the new leadership at the pound, the greatest gains have come in the area of adoptions.

Tragically, under the Skeldon regime, 183 healthy, “non-pit bull” puppies were killed by the warden between 2007 and 2009.

My colleague, Commissioner Pete Gerken, whom Skeldon called the only person that “stood up” for him, has repeatedly stated that adoptions were not Skeldon’s “charge.” This out-of-sight, out-of-mind attitude, from the top down in county government, directly led to the deaths of thousands of innocent dogs, including hundreds of puppies. Thankfully, the new dog warden has shown that public safety and humane treatment of animals are not mutually exclusive. In September, for example, Lyle adopted out 57 dogs as compared to an average of 19 in the same month during the last four years of the Skeldon era.

Lyle has doubled the live-release rate at the dog pound as well, by increasing the transfer of dogs to area rescue groups and the Toledo Area Humane Society.

The department also has a fledgling program that reunites owners with their pets in the field rather than automatically taking a loose dog into the pound.

Long term, the dog warden is looking at large-scale efforts to promote spay and neuter programs — probably the most important piece in the puzzle of lowering euthanasia rates.

These innovations and others, many of them championed by the capable and steadfast Dog Warden Advisory Committee, are getting real results that will continue to make dog lovers and our entire county proud.

But the old guard did not go down without a fight. When a committed group of dog lovers, known as 4 Lucas County Pets, began its quest to change the dog warden, it met immense resistance. In fact, my natural inclination was to side with the status quo when I first heard complaints about Skeldon’s tactics.

Thankfully, the citizen group didn’t give up when I was not as helpful as I ought to have been, and it kept plugging away.

The group’s case was driven by data, logic and compassion. Eventually, it won me over, and together we accomplished something positive.

I believe this process can serve as a good model for reforming other aspects of the community. There is no shortage of areas of local government that are ripe for reform. The intertwining issues of job creation, poverty reduction and education — and the corresponding governmental entities that are tasked with addressing these issues — are at the top of my list. But little will be done to tackle these challenges unless there is systemic change led by involved citizens and backed by elected officials who aren’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers.

The marked improvements in the dog warden’s department show that change in our community is possible. The fear mongering of the status quo can be overcome. We can see tangible improvement, in a relatively small amount of time, if we are willing to forge ahead, despite the formidable obstacles of entrenched interests circling their wagons and preaching doomsday scenarios. And we probably don’t have any other choice but to forge ahead.

Dogs are not the problem; reckless dog owners are

EDITOR’S NOTE: This column was submitted in response to the May 23 cover story on former Lucas County Dog Warden Tom Skeldon.

By Jean Keating

Special to Toledo Free Press

My children’s safety around dogs is not about luck or dependent on whom the dog warden happens to be. Fear does not drive my decision-making process, research and facts do. I have done my research and when it comes to safety around dogs, the national experts are incredibly unified. Dogs are remarkably safe.

There are an estimated 75 million dogs living in our homes today. I have a better chance of being struck by a meteorite than of being killed by a dog. I am 1,000 times more likely to go to the emergency room for a fall-related injury than a dog bite. Even though I am around dogs every day I have reduced my risk of being seriously bitten to almost zero, by educating myself about which dogs bite and why.

National animal experts have identified four factors that are present in more than 90 percent of fatal dog attacks. These same four factors are present in most serious dog attacks as well. The four factors include unaltered dogs (usually male); chained or penned dogs; unsocialized dogs or dogs used for purposes other than companionship; and abused or neglected dogs. All of these factors are controlled by owners. Behind every serious dog attack, stands a reckless dog owner. Only when we start to focus on these reckless owners will we see increased safety in our community.

Communities that target reckless dog owners and hold them accountable for their dog’s behavior have experienced dramatic reductions in dog bite incidents. Take Calgary, Canada for example. Calgary has a population almost three times larger than Lucas County. Yet, Lucas County has more than twice the number of reported dog bites. Why does it enjoy a significantly safer community than we do?

Calgary researched what animal experts recommended as best practice and then put it into place. Animal experts, such as The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, U.S. Center for Disease Control, National Canine Research Council, National Animal Control Association, and many others all agree that breed neutral dangerous dog laws that target reckless dog owners and hold them accountable for their dog’s behavior, combined with dog safety education programs, keep communities safe.

Calgary adopted a very progressive ordinance that levels increasingly stiffer monetary fines for repeat offenders. It has been a major success. In a community of more than 1 million people, it has less than 250 dog bites each year, and most of those are minor. Its animal control department has a citizen satisfaction rate second only to the fire department. Bill Bruce, Calgary’s animal control director, has been invited to speak throughout the world. The Calgary animal control model has become known worldwide as the one to emulate.

In contrast, Lucas County’s reported number of dog bites has averaged 500 bites per year. For the last 20-plus years, we have completely ignored the national experts and listened to a self-proclaimed “expert” who specializes in promoting fear and panic. We have killed thousands of innocent puppies and dogs because of their appearance and not their behavior. Our animal control department’s public opinion rating has been so low we are known nationally as the “armpit” of the canine world. The City of Toledo has spent more than $1 million defending a discriminatory ordinance that has failed to make our community safer.

Our community deserves better. We have the ability to change direction and begin to enjoy the same level of safety other communities enjoy. The Lucas County Dog Warden Advisory Board has been working for three months on developing a dangerous dog ordinance that would target reckless dog owners. Countless hours have been spent researching other community’s ordinances, listening to experts and discussing ideas. The ordinance is a work in progress, but definitely puts our community on the right path.

And yes, it is possible, to love both people and animals. To do anything less would be a travesty.

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